LEGO Historian Posted September 25, 2013 Author Posted September 25, 2013 (edited) Old LEGO is a lot like Alzheimers... you meet new sets every day... Just came across some new items on the first 5 LEGO model sets ever... Those were the 310/1310 Esso Service Station set (first produced 1956), and the 306/1306 (VW Repair), 307/1307 (VW Showroom), 308/1308 Fire Station and 309/1309 Church set. Each of these sets came with a printed 1x6 or 1x8 brick, usually in a local language. These sets only sold in Europe and (starting in 1962) Australia. The 3 versus 4 digit set numbers for the same sets (such as 310/1310) had to do with location sold. From 1955-58 all non basic sets sold in Scandinavia had 4 digits (starting with "13"). In the rest of Europe (1956-64) and in Scandinavia (1958-64) these sets all only had a 3 digit number (starting with a "3"). However Germany had an oddity in a 1957 catalog when 2 of these sets were produced with 4 digits for 1 year. At first I had thought that this was a catalog error... but now it appears it may have been a set production error... because 2 of the sets with 4 digit numbers were actually sold in Germany... because they had a German printed brick on the box top. This gets all rather complex, so I won't go into any further detail... excep that these sets have either 3 or 4 digits set numbers for the same set model. Here's the first one... the 310/1310 Esso Service Station. It is known i 6 different box designs... but from 1957-59 these 3 were produced... The German box was a 310 model number, but the Danish and Swedish were 1310 models. Most of these had ESSO SERVICE... but the German version had ESSO WAGENPFLEGE, the German writing for this. Then there's the 306/1306 set... the VW Repair Set. The Danish/Swedish/Norwegian version (1306) had VW SERVICE on the box top, while the 306 set sold in other countries showed VW LEGO on the box top, although the contents always had the printed brick in the local language.... This shows the 306 (left) and 1306 (right). The 307/1307 VW Showroom set is much more complex than just 2 box types (one for each). This shows 3 out of 4 types... Swedish 1307 (upper left), German 1307 (upper right), and international 307 (lower left). For some reason, the German box was accidentally marked 1307 by accident likely, when it should have been 307 (since Germany is NOT in Scandinavia). But the sets were produced, and the 1957 price list mentions 1307... which I had always thought was a mistake, but it is not a mistake... When I posted this image yesterday in 1000steine... I got a quick surprise from my German LEGO collector friend Lothar... who came up with what I knew to be a missing box with 1307... namely one that had the Danish/Norwegian spelling on the box top (they were VW SALG... the same word). Well Lothar came thru today... so now this is the 4th box type to this set... This makes 4 differnt box top variations to this design. Next comes the 308 Fire Station Set.... This set is only known as a 1308 set with "FALCK"... and a 308 set with "LEGO" on the box top. However it too is shown in the 1957 German pricelist as 1308. So there very likely is a yet to be discovered German box version of the 1308 set.... I do believe that this set as a 1308 box number may indeed exist with the German FEUERWEHR (Fire Station) sign on the box top. This would coincide with the 1308 set as found in the German 1957 pricelist (instead of 308). It is also possible that this set may exist as a 1308 set with the Swedish BRANDSTATION and Norwegian BRANNSTASJON. But the 308 set shows only "LEGO" on the box top, and would contain the printed brick in the local language of each country inside the box. The last set of this group was the 309/1309 Church Set. Apparently both versions of this set (309/1309) both had the same printed brick on the box top. And that one is international... since it was only a "1762" printed brick. So both the 309/1309 have the same box top.... And of course the sides of the 3xx and 13xx boxes. Surprisingly, not just the numbers are different... the 3xx sets have the words LEGO System in the different languages of LEGO countries of continental Europe, while the 13xx sets just say LEGO System on the sides. Also interesting is the fact that this box type was sold in Portugal, but didn't have Portuguese writing on the sides... but it did have English writing... but this box design version of this set was never sold in Britain/Ireland/Australia! Very Strange. Well I've done enough talking on this subject... all of these different box designs and box sides will not be found in any online database... I'm just now getting them into my LEGO DVD/download... for the next version (to be free to all current version owners). Always something old that's new with LEGO.... Edited September 25, 2013 by LEGO Historian Quote
Lasse Posted September 25, 2013 Posted September 25, 2013 Then there's the 306/1306 set... the VW Repair Set. The Danish/Swedish/Norwegian version (1306) had VW SERVICE on the box top, while the 306 set sold in other countries showed VW LEGO on the box top, although the contents always had the printed brick in the local language.... This shows the 306 (left) and 1306 (right). I have a 1306 with "VW GARAGE" on the box top. The building instruction on the inside of the box does also show "VW GARAGE" . Quote
LEGO Historian Posted September 25, 2013 Author Posted September 25, 2013 (edited) Thank you so much Lasse!! Yesterday a German collector showed me a picture of the 1307 box with SALG (Danish/Norwegian), and now you find VW GARAGE!! Since the 1306 was only sold in Denmark, Sweden and Norway... and since the word "GARAGE" would be "GARASJE" in Norwegian... and since I already found a VW SERVICE box... I think that the VW SERVICE box top may be of Norway, and VW GARAGE would be Denmark and Sweden. Also, Lasse, I'm still trying to find out about your large wooden box with Automatic Binding Bricks on top... the folks at the LEGO Archives have never seen that one... but that doesn't mean that it's not real! Still looking around... Edited September 25, 2013 by LEGO Historian Quote
LEGO Historian Posted September 26, 2013 Author Posted September 26, 2013 The 1959 LEGO Retailer Display Stand shows many of these sets. (Image from my Retailer Items LEGO DVD chapter).... Quote
LEGO Historian Posted September 29, 2013 Author Posted September 29, 2013 (edited) This is almost spooky.... I've had that image of a European LEGO Display Stand for 3 years now... and now that I've posted it... a day later my UK LEGO friend Chris Bull (without ever seeing this image) sent me this "Retailer Installation Instructions" for filling such a display stand.... Deja Vu!! The display stand shown is a German 1958-59 model. These installation instructions are for a slightly different UK 1960-61 model, with one extra shelf, and a different shelf configuration. I am definitely planning on adding these instructions to my LEGO Retailer Chapter of my LEGO DVD/download!! Gary Istok Edited September 29, 2013 by LEGO Historian Quote
LEGO Historian Posted December 11, 2013 Author Posted December 11, 2013 (edited) Just got some rare 1950s, 1960s and 1970s LEGO retailer brochure images, that give a lot of historic LEGO info! More stuff for my next DVD download version!! Here's an image dating to 1958, German retailer display showing LEGO set and parts pack sales to customers... In the late 1950s and early 1960s European retailers had a countertop display that held folded copies of the latest LEGO catalog.. available for only pennies each.... this is a German display... Edited December 11, 2013 by LEGO Historian Quote
LEGO Historian Posted December 12, 2013 Author Posted December 12, 2013 The LEGO retailer binders from Germany... upper left early 1960s, upper right mid 1960s. Lower image 4 binder tabs. Quote
LEGO Historian Posted December 12, 2013 Author Posted December 12, 2013 The LEGO Retailer Handbook binder seen in the previous images is seen in this 1961 Austrian Retailer brochure. This guide was provided to all retailers. The German language brochure mentions that by 1961 there were 11,000 independent LEGO retailers throughout continental Europe that were provided this guide, in the local language.... Quote
LEGO Historian Posted December 12, 2013 Author Posted December 12, 2013 (edited) It is astonishing studying the obscure early years about LEGO. From 1 counttry selling LEGO in 1949, to 4 countries by 1956 (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany)... by 1957 there were only 140 employees at the company... and by 1961 there were over 11,000 LEGO retailers in Continental Europe alone. By 1962 there were 42 countries selling LEGO, including the licensing of LEGO out to 2 companies... a British chemical giant named Courtaulds, which sold LEGO in Britain, Ireland and Australia, and suitcase/plastics maker Samsonite, which sold LEGO in USA/Canada. By 1962 the Godtfred Kirk Christiansen family were millionaires... although their Billund house was modern but modest, as seen in this 1962 German magazine article discussing the LEGO phenomenon. Godtfred, an unnamed LEGO exec on the sofa with his wife Edith are pictured along with the German General Consul of Denmark (back to camera), and manning the bellows at the fireplace, Godtfred's brother Johannes.... Edited December 12, 2013 by LEGO Historian Quote
LEGO Historian Posted December 12, 2013 Author Posted December 12, 2013 The (1954-63) LEGO Gnome was found on box tops, catalogs and brochures of the early LEGO era. Here are examples of the glued LEGO retailer display models produced at the Billund factory... figuratively marching their way across Europe... Hard to believe that a LEGO Gnome doll 55 years later would command over 800 Euros on the secondary market!! Quote
LEGO Historian Posted December 13, 2013 Author Posted December 13, 2013 (edited) One of the things that makes old LEGO so interesting is that there are always little anomalies and mysteries that never seem to make sense about it. Edited February 19, 2014 by LEGO Historian Quote
DPrime Posted December 14, 2013 Posted December 14, 2013 (edited) Love seeing this stuff. Gotta admit, I'd like to see a Lego Historian Jr. tackle the '70s and '80s though. I know the info's out there but just not as well researched or presented! Edited December 14, 2013 by DPrime Quote
LEGO Historian Posted December 14, 2013 Author Posted December 14, 2013 No problem... LEGO stickers were first introduced in 1971-72.... and in at least one case a LEGO set came in 2 variations... with and without stickers. When a large number of LEGO Mini-Wheel sets were introduced in 1972, TLG had some sets already produced in 1971. The 685 Truck With Trailer was an example... When this model was first produced in 1971, it was for a 1972 set release date. However, by the time 1972 rolled around, many other sets were produced with LEGO stickers... and this truck, which was rather plain looking, was redesigned with some colorful LEGO rainbow logo stickers. Here are the 1971 produced no-sticker model, as well as the 1972 produced with-sticker model... both actually released into production in 1972.... The vast majority of these sets show the stickers present on the instructions, and box top. But early sets, instructions, boxes show no stickers.... It is this early no-sticker version of the 685 set that is much more collectible and rare. Quote
aefferen Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 No problem... LEGO stickers were first introduced in 1971-72.... and in at least one case a LEGO set came in 2 variations... with and without stickers. When a large number of LEGO Mini-Wheel sets were introduced in 1972, TLG had some sets already produced in 1971. The 685 Truck With Trailer was an example... When this model was first produced in 1971, it was for a 1972 set release date. However, by the time 1972 rolled around, many other sets were produced with LEGO stickers... and this truck, which was rather plain looking, was redesigned with some colorful LEGO rainbow logo stickers. Here are the 1971 produced no-sticker model, as well as the 1972 produced with-sticker model... both actually released into production in 1972.... The vast majority of these sets show the stickers present on the instructions, and box top. But early sets, instructions, boxes show no stickers.... It is this early no-sticker version of the 685 set that is much more collectible and rare. Great to see how you are digging around in this colorful history of Lego. This set I have myself. Just need to check if it is with or without stickers. I myself are concentrating on the early Technic Lego. Just stumbling over your thread here while I was looking for info on the red gears in the early samsonite 'technic' sets. Keep diggin around I would say, you have a addicting enthousiastic way of writing about Lego History. Quote
LEGO Historian Posted February 9, 2014 Author Posted February 9, 2014 Great to see how you are digging around in this colorful history of Lego. This set I have myself. Just need to check if it is with or without stickers. I myself are concentrating on the early Technic Lego. Just stumbling over your thread here while I was looking for info on the red gears in the early samsonite 'technic' sets. Keep diggin around I would say, you have a addicting enthousiastic way of writing about Lego History. Thanks for the complement Aefferen!! I've been collecting for going on 54 years now... and my Avatar says it all... I predate ABS (1963) by 3 years!! 7 years ago I decided to start putting all my LEGO history down on paper... and the end result was a LEGO collectors CD of 1000 pages back in 2008. Then as the LEGO Archives and Collections have been giving me much access to info, that history expanded to 3000 page, 6000+ images and the history of the LEGO bricks going back to day 1 (1949). What started out as just the history of LEGO sets and parts has now expanded to LEGO display models, LEGO retailer catalogs, LEGO brochures and idea books, the LEGO family (Christiansen's), LEGO plastics and prototypes, LEGO counterfeits and clones, and so much more. My Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide as DVD/download (688MB), has things so obscure that you won't find them in online databases. And speaking of obscure... your question about the 1965-73 Samsonite LEGO gears... which only attached themselves to early LEGO wheels and turntables... came out in 4 sizes/colors. But including prototypes (from my LEGO DVD chapter on Technic/Expert Builder, and early LEGO Gear Systems... Quote
Cult_Of_Skaro Posted February 11, 2014 Posted February 11, 2014 No problem... LEGO stickers were first introduced in 1971-72.... and in at least one case a LEGO set came in 2 variations... with and without stickers. When a large number of LEGO Mini-Wheel sets were introduced in 1972, TLG had some sets already produced in 1971. The 685 Truck With Trailer was an example... When this model was first produced in 1971, it was for a 1972 set release date. However, by the time 1972 rolled around, many other sets were produced with LEGO stickers... and this truck, which was rather plain looking, was redesigned with some colorful LEGO rainbow logo stickers. Here are the 1971 produced no-sticker model, as well as the 1972 produced with-sticker model... both actually released into production in 1972.... [sNIP] The vast majority of these sets show the stickers present on the instructions, and box top. But early sets, instructions, boxes show no stickers.... [sNIP] It is this early no-sticker version of the 685 set that is much more collectible and rare. Not exactly the same, but Eldorado Fortress had something similar. Early copies included stickers, while later on the decorations were printed. Quote
LEGO Historian Posted February 12, 2014 Author Posted February 12, 2014 Not exactly the same, but Eldorado Fortress had something similar. Early copies included stickers, while later on the decorations were printed. Another similar situation was with the 383/6083 Knight's Tournament sets. The 383 set (Europe/Australia/Canada) came out in 1979, and the rare red flags had the heraldic crest actually printed on the flag. When the USA version 6083 was introduced in 1981, the flags came plain, and the sticker sheet contained just the 2 sides of the flag sticker. Quote
LEGO Historian Posted February 12, 2014 Author Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) Well I'm working on investigating and hopefully finding the last of the missing LEGO sets... getting very close to finishing the last of the missing pieces of the LEGO puzzle! Found 2 sets in 1956 Scandinavian catalogs that have never been found... an 1237 "Garage Set Side Building"... and a 1309 "Small Esso Garage". The Billund Archives has no record of these sets... but that never stopped me from finding sets they had no records of... Ordinarily I would say that these sets were never produced, but I know better. There are a few LEGO sets that WERE produced and have not yet been found (I have a photograph of a retailer stack of them in one image)... so I don't let the fact that they've not yet been found interfere with good detective work... Here is an image from a small part of a 1956 Norwegian catalog.... the 1235 (Garage Kit), 1236 (Garage Set) and 1237 (Garage Side Building) and 1309 (Small Esso Station) sets are mentioned. Just yesterday I received an image from a 1957 Norwegian catalog that mentions the same 2 sets. So this really reduces the likelihood of an catalog error. Here is (1956 Norwegian catalog) what the unknown 1237 built model supposedly looks like, next to a known set, the 1236 Garage set.... Here is the same 1235 box (same as a 1236)... Now the 2 boxes (1236/1237) look almost identical... and may actually have been the same box used for both, with just a different set number on the side... Here is a 1236 box (identical to a 1235 set)... And here's the end flap to a 1236.... So a 1237 would likely have this same box, but with a different model, and a different set number on the side flap (the only place the set number is located). There is also a Garage Kit of the 5 garage parts in a box numbered 1235, that has this exact same box also. Now as for the 1309 set. That one is a bit more on the obscure side. What is the difference between a "Small Esso Service" (1309) and a 1237?? Well the 1309 entry says it includes a Garage. So maybe that would explain this very old set, whose image I've had for many years and never really understood why it had a different printed brick (ESSO SERVICE) instead of GARAGE, and also why it included a 1:87 Bedford Esso Tanker. Well as it turns out, the price difference between a 1236 regular garage, and a 1309 Esso garage... about equals the price difference including the 1:87 Esso Tanker! So this set, that I always thought had the wrong parts included... may have been original all along... and maybe just wasn't identified correctly!! This set may very well have been the 1309 set... the image on the box... is the same image on the back side of a 1235 and 1236 box... and very possibly also of the 1237 box!! So sets 1235, 1236, 1237 and 1309 may all very well have the same box... and this may be part of the problem. Now just to find an example with the 1237 and 1309 number on the box flap!! Waiting for this "shoe to drop".... ... and then I can tell the folks at the Billund Archives... Well one more thing to add to my DVD/download! Edited February 12, 2014 by LEGO Historian Quote
LEGO Historian Posted February 13, 2014 Author Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) Wow.... just got another piece of information of very old LEGO from Norway.... I just got a copy of a 1957 Norwegian Retailer Catalog. And among the items just discussed were the sets in the previous post. And also there were some spare parts sold as individual parts. Among them was the 10x20 thick baseplate. This plate was introduced in 1953, and was produced for decades under the "700E" number in Europe and North America. Well in that 1957 Norwegian catalog it was listed as 700/E, 700/E2 and 700E3. Ordinarily one would think that the plate was sold individually, or in a 2 or 3 pack, right? Well as it turns out, that wasn't exactly how it was sold in groups of 2 or 3! My German LEGO collector friend Lothar often bought Norwegian LEGO, and was wondering why the 10x20 baseplates were sometimes glued together in groups of 2 or 3!!! As it turns out, these 700/E2 and 700/E3 were Norwegan baseplates that were glued together on the sides, and sold to the public in this way!!! Wow!! The A/S Norske LEGIO company in Oslo (yes there's an "I" in the name)... produced these baseplates in a way that they were never sold elsewhere!! Talk about learning something new every day!! Hehehe... something else to add to my collectors guide! Edited February 13, 2014 by LEGO Historian Quote
LEGO Historian Posted February 19, 2014 Author Posted February 19, 2014 One of the strangest LEGO sets were the 6002 Town Minifig Set and 6002 Castle Minifig Set, both exclusives of Canada in 1983. The 1983 Canadian catalog shows the town set as 6002... but the Castle Minifig set is shown in the catalog as 6001. So this tells me that the folks at the Samsonite LEGO plant in Stratford Ontario made a mistake in producing the castle minifig set under the wrong number. Discussed in my LEGO DVD chapter on early LEGO Castle System.... 6002 Town Minifig Set... Incorrectly printed 6002 Castle Minifig Set.... I love LEGO errors... it makes learning the history of sets more interesting! Quote
brickfan27 Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 les premiers lego étaient en bois! les premiers lego étaient en bois! Quote
LEGO Historian Posted March 20, 2014 Author Posted March 20, 2014 les premiers lego étaient en bois! les premiers lego étaient en bois! (Trans: first LEGO toys were wood.) Yes! LEGO wood toys, 1932-60. LEGO bricks, 1949-present. Oui ! LEGO jouets en bois 1932-60. Briques LEGO 1949-présent. Quote
LEGO Historian Posted March 22, 2014 Author Posted March 22, 2014 (edited) When I was first researching my earliest LEGO collectors guide back in 2006, I spent a lot of time fruitlessly trying to find boxes for many of the 1950s and early 1960s 1:87 cars and trucks... but never did find any. It wasn't until many years later that I discovered that all the 250-260 LEGO Bedford Trucks, and VW buses/vans/Beetles were never sold in boxes... but sold by LEGO retailers (Europe and Australia) from retailer boxes of 5 trucks/cars... Here are some examples (from the collection of my Belgian collector friend Rohnny) of cars/trucks that were individual sales, although some did come in small plastic garages.... However, once I found that LEGO retailers sold these 1:87 vehicles from these very rare retailer boxes, I was wondering how did the retailers promote the fact that they had these retailer boxes sitting behind or underneath their display counter. It wasn't until recently that I finally found a satisfactory answer. It seems that retailers had display panels that had these 1:87 vehicles mounted to them, along with a description and a price. These display panels could be mounted on a wall or onto a countertop board. It was these display panels that let LEGO collectors know that the retailer had these 1:87 LEGO vehicles for sale out of sight somewhere... (Note: some of the cutaway plastic garages have disappeared from these display panels.) This is the first time some of these very very rare retailer display panels have appeared online. It pains me to look at this, because TLG took a group of very nice 1:87 vehicles and destroyed them by cutting off 1/3 of the vehicle, and mounting the remainder to these panels. Over $2000 worth of 1:87 vehicles were destroyed in this way!! By 1965 these cars/trucks were replaced with newer Mercedes trucks and other cars... henceforth housed in individual cardboard boxes.... thus eliminating the need for these display panels! It's items like these that you won't find in any online LEGO database!! Edited March 22, 2014 by LEGO Historian Quote
LEGO Historian Posted March 25, 2014 Author Posted March 25, 2014 (edited) The number of different LEGO color bricks really took off since 2000. This is after a period of 45 years since TLG produced a lot of different brick colors. From 1949-56 TLG made a very large number of brick colors... however most of these were only 2x2 and 2x4 slotted bricks. Then from 1956 until the 1990s there only about 8 LEGO brick colors. In recent years the number of old slotted brick colors discovered has increased by quite a bit. However that number has stabilized at approximately 24 colors. Here they are... Interestingly enough, although most of these 60 year old bricks are made of Cellulose Acetate, some have been shown to be made of Bakelite... a shiny hard plastic used in electrical applications such as light bulb socket fixtures, electrical switches and outlet attachments. Edited March 25, 2014 by LEGO Historian Quote
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